Lover Unleashed - by J.R. Ward
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #9
Publication Date: March 29, 2011
ISBN: 978-0451233165
Page Count: 528
My Rating: ★★★

Summary: #1 New York Times bestselling author J.R. Ward's thrilling new novel in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

Payne, twin sister of Vishous, is cut from the same dark, seductive cloth as her brother.

Imprisoned for eons by their mother, the Scribe Virgin, she finally frees herself-only to face a devastating injury.

Manuel Manello, M.D., is drafted by the Brotherhood to save her as only he can-but when the human surgeon and the vampire warrior meet, their two worlds collide in the face of their undeniable passion.

With so much working against them, can love prove stronger than the birthright and the biology that separates them?

REVIEW

I am not really feeling this book, true?

This is my least favourite of the BDB books so far I'm afraid. It had too many subplots, not enough time devoted to our main couple Manny and Payne, and it lacked the lighter moments that Ward usually provides in her otherwise dark world.

As a paranormal romance, I'm expecting a certain amount of time devoted to our star couple. All the former books have been clearly "Wrath and Beth's story", or "Zsadist and Bella's Story" (my two favourites incidentally), with a side story usually featuring the head of the Lessening society. But this one was more like "Manny, Payne, Jane, Vishous, Butch, Quinn, Xcor, Throe, Jose and Veck's story"... It was just too much! I feel like this was a "setting up" book, and we're being prepared for the next big storyline to come. Which is fine, I guess. But it didn't make me enjoy the book any more.

So much of what we are used to was missing, too. Where were the Omega and the Scribe Virgin? Where was the leader of the Lessers? And I didn't even get a song from Zsadist!...tsk tsk

There were a few bits I did enjoy, however. I did like the Manny and Payne bits; she certainly deserves her freedom after centuries spent with Mother dearest, so it was nice to see her discovering the world and falling for handy Manny. And although I don't like all the BDSM stuff associated with V, I was glad he was able to get over what happened to him a bit more, with the help of his boy, Butch.

So all in all, it could have been much better for me. I will still be reading the next one, of course. Everyone is allowed a bump in the road, and I think this is Ward's.